SOC 1010 Unit II Journal Reflection

Journal Reflection SOC 1010 Unit II

SOC 1010, Introduction to Sociology

Columbia Southern University

Journal Reflection SOC 1010 Unit II

For this journal entry, I was asked to answer a two-part question. The first part was when do I think a person should be considered an adult in American society? Why? Are there certain milestones or rituals that determine adulthood, or is it a certain age? The second part was to discuss my own journey to adulthood. Then to discuss one or more milestones, rituals, or experiences in my life that I felt signified my passage into adulthood. How do I think this helped me in the transition?

Part I

I think the age of adulthood for individuals can be so far and wide depending on their situation and life events. I honestly do not think there is or should be a set age when a person should be considered an adult. There are so many variables that have to be considered. If I had to pick an age I would generally say 18 due to the fact that at this age people can make the decision to join the military without parental consent. Previously I said there are so many variables to be considered due to the nature of American society being the cultural melting pot that it is, there are definitely milestones, rituals and experiences that shape each culture within the American society to choose that age they see as the age of adulthood.

Part II

My journey to adulthood was interesting in my eyes. I thought I was an adult at what I now see as a relatively young age. I made a lot of bad decisions as a youth roughly between the ages of 13 and 15 and got into a lot of trouble. This trouble resulted in my expulsion from high school and the mandatory attendance of a military program named The Youth Challenge at the age of 16 where upon completion I received my high school diploma. After completing this program, I no longer lived with my parents and considered myself an adult due to the fact that I had to support myself financially. Looking back, I was still a child and thought like a child. I think I actually became an adult when I decided I wanted to ask my then girlfriend to marry me about the age of 20. What I think the difference was in the two experiences was a level of self-awareness that it’s no longer just about me and I’m going to support another person and that shirted my views.